Students Without Borders is a WUSC and CECI program that enables Canadian university and college students to participate in exciting, volunteer learning opportunities in South America, Africa, and Asia.

Sri Lanka Archive

A few weekends ago, while I was having dinner with a couple of fellow SWBs, I realized that I'd passed the halfway point of my mandate here in Sri Lanka. Admittedly, I had miscalculated, marking my midway on my Google Calendar in March instead of February! Thank goodness for people with good counting skills in my life.
Prior to coming to Sri Lanka, I had promised myself to write a post to the … [Read more...]

If you’d asked me when I first started my university career in the International Development Studies (IDS) program at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) campus if I knew I'd be completing a placement in Sri Lanka with WUSC, I probably would not have believed you. Mainly because 4th year it felt like an eternity away. And here I am three years later, quickly approaching departure date - … [Read more...]

(Note: this blog post originally appeared on carolinegraceoneill.com in August)
Self-care, a buzzword I’ve seen cropping up in articles from my favourite publications, was something I rarely thought about in terms of my own mental health.
A few weeks ago World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Sri Lanka’s volunteer support officer shared her self-care tools on Instagram. After reading the … [Read more...]

One of my favourite parts of living in Sri Lanka is the sound of the waves. The lull of the water pushing across and away from the sand offers me great comfort and always puts me at ease. My first night in Hambantota was spent in a hotel along the beach; I slept well despite my mixed nerves and excitement to begin my mandate.
Scientists have discussed how a close proximity to the sea … [Read more...]

(Note: this was originally posted in July on carolinegraceoneill.com)
About two weeks ago, I flew half way around the world and drove another five hours to my new home.
I’ll be spending the next month in Hambantota, a village in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province.
My new place of residence has elephants on the highways at night and eighty one per cent humidity. I use data on my phone … [Read more...]

“So, where is Sri Lanka?” he asks after a pause. He looks down, then up, not sure how I’ll react. Will I think he’s foolish or unworldly for not knowing?
It’s the question I’m most often asked when I tell people I’m going away. The easy answer is that it’s an island just south of India. I hate this response though. It feels too simple.
I don’t think anyone is foolish for not … [Read more...]

Hello, my name is Erika Barratt and I am a 4th year student in the Bachelor of International Development program at Humber College. I have an internal drive to aid those who's ability to cope is substandard. I'm in the beginning stages of discovering my true passions and I hope by completing this internship I will gain a better understanding of what fields interest me the most. I have been … [Read more...]

Hello, thanks for taking a look at my blog post!
My name is Kevin McLeod, and for the next six months I have the pleasure of being a Communications and Documentation Assistant with the PRET Project in Sri Lanka. I am originally from Peterborough, Ontario but have been living in Montreal for several years, which is where I obtained an attestation of collegial studies from Cégep … [Read more...]